The Jets added some much-needed protection for Aaron Rodgers after New York traded back in the 2024 NFL draft.
General manager Joe Douglas moved back from No. 10 to No. 11 and took Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu. While the Jets added two veteran offensive linemen in Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith, both are older and injury-prone. Meanwhile, Fashanu is a great depth piece that can fill in as needed.
Fashanu played 1,347 snaps over the past three seasons at Penn State. He also didn't allow a sack and only allowed one quarterback hit in the past two years. Fashanu finished his collegiate career with a 1.1% pressure rate and had the third-lowest block rate in the FBS since 2021, per ESPN.
The Jets returned two mid-round picks in the trade, too: No. 129 and 157. New York doesn't have a second-round pick after the Rodgers deal, so the team can add more depth around the team as needed. This is the third first-round offensive lineman taken by Douglas during his tenure as general manager after Mekhi Becton in 2020 and Alijah Vera-Tucker in 2021.
SN's NFL DRAFT HQ
Live picks tracker | 7-round mock draft | Top 250 big board
Olu Fashanu weight and height
- Height: 6-foot-6
- Weight: 312 pounds
- Arms: 34 inches
- Hand size: 8.5 inches
JETS DRAFT PICKS 2024: Full list of NFL Draft selections for Jets
Jets 2024 draft instant grade: A
While an offensive weapon would have been a luxury pick, another lineman was more important. There is no guarantee the Jets' starting lineman will remain healthy all season long either.
At the least, Fashanu is a high-quality backup player who can start in a pinch. And at best, he can learn from some of the best veteran tackles in the game and take over to become a foundational piece of the Jets' offensive lineman for the foreseeable future.
Jets praise Fashanu
It didn't take long for Douglas to shower praise of his pick. The Jets general manager called Fashanu "a really high-level, high-impact pass protector."
"He's a really high-level, high-impact pass protector." - GM Joe Douglas on Olu Fashanu pic.twitter.com/25VzFt3ZQ8
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 26, 2024
Olu Fashanu NFL comparison
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared Fashanu to Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson, who started 84 games for Jacksonville since 2017. Per Zierlein:
"A toolsy two-year starter with loads of potential, Fashanu is still learning to be less mechanical and more instinctive with his play. At this point, he could impose his traits upon most collegiate opponents and stack the deck in his favor. As a pro, he will need to play with better control and more consistent technique to prevent being countered and beaten by NFL talent. There is still room to get bigger and stronger, but he’s already playing with good focus and drive as a run blocker. Issues with footwork and landmarks can be corrected with more coaching. He’s long and has really effective recovery agility to help keep his quarterback clean, but inconsistent pass slides and excessive leaning could make things harder than they need to be early on. Overall, the work ethic, traits and tape make it easier to project Fashanu’s continued improvement into a very good left tackle."
The Ringer's Danny Kelly, meanwhile, compared Fashanu to Ravens starting tackle Ronnie Staley:
"A tackle-needy team could plug Fashanu into its offensive line right away. The Penn State standout has a high-cut, muscular frame, long arms, and extremely nimble feet. He pass blocks from a balanced stance, keeping his knees bent and back flat. He has twitchy movement skills, sliding and mirroring effortlessly. He uses a strong punch to the inside shoulder to lock out his arm and keep pass rushers at bay, grappling with his outside hand to maintain leverage and keep opponents off his frame. He’s very good with his hand fighting and never seems to panic. Fashanu has a flexible upper half and has shown the ability to bend and twist while staying engaged in his blocks, keeping his feet moving even when he loses initial leverage. He absorbs the bull rush and drops his weight to hold his ground, readjusting his hands and digging his heels in to keep his quarterback clean. He anticipates spin moves well and rarely allows inside counter moves. He shows excellent awareness for looping rushers into his area."
MORE 2024 NFL DRAFT: Safest picks | Riskiest picks | Top sleepers | Small-school steals
Jets depth chart with Fashanu
Smith is expected to be the Jets starting left tackle, but head coach Robert Saleh said Thursday that the team expects Fashanu to also play left tackle for the Jets.
Now, this doesn't mean the Jets will have a positional battle in training camp. Smith brings 13 years and 161 starts of experience with him to New York. However, he's missed a lot of time with injuries throughout his time in the NFL.
Joe Douglas says that the Jets expect to play Olu Fashanu at left tackle: pic.twitter.com/Kea2xWJP2r
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) April 26, 2024
